Grit: A Novel

Written by Gillian French

Narrated by Caitlin Davies

Edgar Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Mystery * A Kirkus Best Book

Raw and moving, this contemporary realistic debut novel will leave readers of E. Lockhart and Gayle Forman breathless as it unflinchingly unfolds the tragic secrets being kept in a small, deceptively idyllic town.

“Gorgeously written and helmed by a protagonist with an indelibly fierce heart."" (starred review from Kirkus)

“Keen plotting, evocative writing, and dynamic characterization make French a writer to watch.” (starred review from Booklist)

Seventeen-year-old Darcy Prentiss has long held the title of “town slut.” She knows how to have a good time, sure, but she isn’t doing anything all the guys haven’t done. But when you’re a girl with a reputation, every little thing that happens seems to keep people whispering—especially when your ex-best friend goes missing.

But if anyone were to look closer at Darcy, they’d realize there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface. Staying out late, hooking up, and telling lies is what Darcy does to forget. Forget about the mysterious disappearance of her friend. Forget about the dark secret she and her cousin Nell share.

Forget about that hazy Fourth of July night. So when someone in town anonymously nominates Darcy to be in the running for Bay Festival Princess—a cruel act only someone with a score to settle would make—all of the things that Darcy wants to keep hidden threaten to erupt in ways she wasn’t prepared to handle…and isn’t sure if she can.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: May 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9780062682918

Gillian French

Gillian French is the author of The Lies They Tell, The Missing Season, and Edgar Award finalist Grit, which was an Indie Next List pick and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and ALA Booklist. She holds a BA in English from the University of Maine and lives in Maine with her husband and sons. www.gillianfrench.com.

Reviews for Grit

[christianr_899499 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I got caught up in this novel about a teen whose secrets compel her to risky behaviors.

[seasonsoflove_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.This book is a bit of an enigma to me. Not much really happens, but yet it's interesting enough to keep me reading.In Grit, we meet Darcy, who everyone in town loves to spread rumors about and call the "town slut". But she's fine hiding behind the gossip so she doesn't have to think about the truth-what happened to her cousin Nell, her missing best friend, and herself, on the Fourth of July. Then someone nominates Darcy for Bay Festival Princess, and she can't hide anymore.This book moves around through Darcy's everyday life, raking berries during the summer to try to earn extra cash, spending time with her family, interacting with boys and friends. But while on the surface it seems like a story that is meandering around, knowing that there is so much simmering under the surface kept me turning pages. French drops lots of small, almost hidden, hints that add up to subtle foreshadowing about what is to come, and there's this overarching sense of depressing dread that makes this book so atmospheric.I don't see myself rushing out to read more of French's work, simply because there are so many other books in this genre that are already demanding my attention. But if you are looking for a quick, highly atmospheric almost haunting read, with a slow build and some real emotional punches, this would be a good one to pick up.